OUTRAGED Ian Curtis fans have joined Macclesfield Police in appealing for the return of his stolen memorial stone.

The Hurdsfield-born Joy Division singer was 23 when he hanged himself in a Barton Street flat, in May 1980, ending the band’s meteoric rise.

The Macclesfield Cemetery kerbstone – which the council says draws around 1,000 Joy Division fans to the town each year from all over the world – was taken last week from the Prestbury Road site, sparking a police investigation, and shock from Curtis’ followers.

Police raided a home in Winsford last week after a tip off, but did not find the stone and have made a fresh appeal for information.

On the Macclesfield Express website, Curtis fans from as far afield as Oslo, Norway, have branded the crime "evil" and "disgraceful", and called for the stone’s return.

The comments echo Stephen Morris, former Joy Divison and New Order drummer, who attended the King’s School with Curtis. He labelled the theft "sick" and asked for the memorial to be taken to Macclesfield Police Station.

Debbie Curtis, Ian’s wife, was informed by Macclesfield Borough Council of the theft, and was "in a state of disbelief and shock", a spokesman for the council said.

The shocking incident at Macclesfield Cemetery, on Prestbury Road, echoes various thefts at Jim Morrison’s grave in Paris. Pieces of The Doors frontman’s memorial have been stolen from Pere Lachaise Cemetery over the decades. He died in the city in 1971, after a heart attack.

Stephen Morris, Curtis’ former bandmate, spoke of the latest theft in Macclesfield.

He said: "It’s pretty disgusting really that it’s been there for almost 30 years and somebody has decided to take it as a sick souvenir. It’s upsetting for Ian’s relatives, as it would be for anybody, and I can’t see what worth it’s got to anyone. I think it’s a little bit sick and what on earth they hope to achieve I don’t know. We’ve all been wild and reckless in our time but surely this represents a new low. It’s probably a fan that has taken it and I would appeal for them to return it or leave it at the nearest police station."

The memorial was taken between lunchtime on Monday, July 1, and the following morning.

Inspector Gareth Woods, head of Macclesfield Neighbourhood Policing Unit, confirmed yesterday that there are no new leads, and made a fresh appeal for the memorial’s return.

Insp Woods said: "We did raid an address in Winsford but did not find the stone. There is no CCTV in the area and there are no apparent leads at this time as to who is responsible for the theft. This is a very unusual theft and I am confident that someone locally will have knowledge about who is responsible or where the memorial stone is at present. I would appeal for anyone with such information to contact Cheshire Constabulary on 0845 458 0000 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111."